Zaha Hadid interview - Vogue India - Nov 2012

CASA, TASTE, TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE

EDITED BY ANINDITA GHOSE

LIVING

Zaha Hadid surveys her ambitious project, the London Aquatics Centre

DESIGN

DAVID YEO

GREAT HEIGHTS

In a Vogue India exclusive, star architect ZAHA HADID talks about breaking ranks, her 10 design commandments and why Venice isn’t the ideal city. By ALLIE BISWAS www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA NOVEMBER 2012 353

W LIVING

What did contributing to a legacy like the 2012 Olympics in London mean to you?

It was very rewarding to work on the London Aquatics Centre. Almost 20 years ago, I did a project that researched how London’s [neglected] East End could be developed, and it was fascinating to see this become a reality with the Olympics as a catalyst for regeneration. What the Games have left behind is truly breathtaking; there has definitely been a massive investment in transport infrastructure throughout the city, but particularly in East London, which has historically not been as well served by public infrastructure.

With 17,500 seats, the London Aquatics Centre has the largest spectator capacity of any pool in the history of the Games, and our design very much kept in mind its use by Londoners long after the Olympics. This is key to the sustainability of all of London’s Olympic development—the city cannot afford to be left with oversized and underused sporting venues.

354 VOGUE INDIA NOVEMBER 2012 www.vogue.in

An aerial view of the Galaxy Soho .

Above: The structure opens in Beijing this month

“Indeed, the new generation in China seems to find some inspiration in my work” The Financial Times recently said of you: “Her buildings have become a brand more recognisable than the work of any other designer.” How would you describe your architectural style?

Our work at Zaha Hadid Architects can be described as intuitive, radical, international, dynamic. The fundamental characteristics of the practice are well established—we are concerned with buildings that offer original experiences; that evoke a kind of newness which is comparable to the experience of going to an unknown country.

So there is a ‘Zaha’ trademark?

I’d say that we never really set out to create a signature building; there is always an underlying logic within the design that we then push to the highest standards. We are not shy of developing a formal logic to a point where it becomes a signature building—but that is not an immediate aim, it is something that evolves.

What is your idea of an architecturally perfect city?

It’s a difficult thing to tell people that everything must be preserved while also believing in what progress can

bring. I don’t believe cities should be like Venice and not grow or change at all. It is important to intervene in a contemporary way, but you must do it in a very precise manner. In cities, you need spaces where things can shrink and expand.

I also think it’s important to allow and plan for an organic kind of growth to occur. In every new project, it is critical to include civic spaces that engage with the city. These public spaces and cultural buildings are a vital component of a rich urban life. There needs to be a major shift away from zoning, where you live here, work there and play somewhere else.

The East is increasingly relevant for you: your first project in China, the Guangzhou Opera House, became a landmark; the Galaxy Soho project will launch in Beijing this month. What do you think the expectations are?

The warm reception our buildings enjoy is largely due to the public’s recognition of these buildings as organic forms, and we have worked extremely hard to ensure that these projects provide uplifting urban experiences.

I am delighted to be continuing my work in China on innovative projects like Galaxy Soho. Indeed, the new generation in China seems to find some inspiration in my work. I suspect they sense my admiration for the East’s architectural traditions, or it is perhaps because my style demands a degree of commitment and optimism that one finds in places and periods where the young have embraced the future with confidence, yet not forgotten the past.

Do you have plans to start projects in India any time soon?

India offers tremendous potential.

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

When Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 (the Nobel of architecture, if you will) she became the first woman in its illustrious 26-year history to do so, and joined the ranks of design legends like Frank Gehry and Rem Koolhaas. It was a phenomenal acknowledgement of her talent and conviction.

Though the prize may have been the pinnacle of 61-year-old Hadid’s career till then, she’s only building higher with each passing year: her futuristic creations are now simply known as ‘Zaha’ buildings. So even as her London Aquatics Centre took centre stage at the 2012 Olympics, this month sees the opening of her second building in China: an office, retail and entertainment complex called Galaxy Soho. The woman who built what the New York Times called “the most important new building in America since the Cold War” (the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio) talks to Vogue about career landmarks, overcoming sexism and a love for vintage clothing.

I’m fascinated by the culture and economic dynamism of contemporary India. There are no concrete projects so far. But for me, India is a relatively unexplored world of opportunities that I’d love to get far more involved in.

At the launch of your first major building (the Rosenthal Center), your staff wore T-shirts that read, ‘Would they call me a diva if I were a guy?’ Have you had to struggle with sexism?

Every architect you talk to—man or woman—no matter how successful, has it very tough. This profession requires constant focus and commitment. As a female architect, you need the confidence to carry on and take new steps every time. In practice, I still experience resistance. It’s not like everybody says ‘Yes’ to me—it’s still a struggle. While you do see more established female architects these days, sometimes the difficulties are incomprehensible. If a man has an opinion, people describe him as ‘opinionated’ or ‘powerful’. If a woman in business voices her opinion, she is considered to be ‘difficult’ or a ‘diva’. But things have changed tremendously over the last 15 years.

The Rosenthal Center in Cincinnati.

Below: Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan

You’ve often spoken about your admiration for Issey Miyake.

What draws you to his clothes?

I have always appreciated designers who dare to reinterpret fabrics and proportions, so I follow Japanese designers such as Miyake. I think he’s brilliant. I mostly like his ‘pleats’ pieces, because they are very versatile. I think what’s also nice about these pieces is that they’re animated: when they are on show in a shop it’s one thing, but once you wear them they become something else.

HER 10 COMMANDMENTS

How does your interest in fashion fit into your interest in design and architecture?

Architecture is how the person places herself in the space. Fashion is about how you place the object on the person.

I’m into fashion because it contains the mood of the day, of the moment— like music, literature and art. I am also fascinated by the way one can transform cloth and make it do things that it doesn’t always do. I never throw anything away—which means I have a lot of vintage pieces. A few days ago I found an old Romeo Gigli piece in my wardrobe. He was a genius.

3. Sketch and draw My sketches are extremely valuable to me. When you sketch, you are constantly discovering and experimenting with new ideas.

Tell us about your favourite buildings and architects.

Oscar Niemeyer’s spatial sensibility is amazing. I have visited him at his home in Rio—it’s a masterpiece. The Guggenheim Museum in New York by Frank Lloyd Wright had an incredible influence on me, too. I also remember going to see the cathedral mosque in Cordoba in southern Spain as a child— the building left a deep impact on me. It’s very dark inside, but also filled with white marble. It’s like the modern hybrid projects we build today. ■

A career in design calls for creative sustenance and acute discipline.

Zaha Hadid points the way

1. Never give up We’ve had many unrealised projects, but I’m fundamentally an optimist.

2. Trust your intuition... …Even if you’re told something seems bizarre. No matter what our age, we should always try to keep the passion for discovery we have in our youth.

4. Work hard You need the confidence to continually improve. Hard work gives you this layer of confidence.

5. Believe in the fantastic When I went to see the wrapping of the Reichstag by [performance artist] Christo in Berlin in 1995, millions had flocked there. It became clear to me that people are interested in projects that make fantasy a reality.

6. Embrace teamwork You must learn early on that you can’t do everything yourself.

7. Don’t neglect friends and family You must work to ensure that you never forget the importance of your friends and family: they will always be your greatest support.

8. Invest in education The headmistress at my school in Iraq was very interested in the education of women. She was a pioneer in that part of the world—one’s education is crucial to success later in life.

9. Be socially aware I believe architecture is a vehicle that can address some of the most important social issues today. Part of the mandate for an architect is to make people ‘feel good’ in a space.

10. Have ambition The most important thing is to stay focused in order to achieve. You have to have direction.

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA NOVEMBER 2012 355